UNHCE Information Technology & Distance Education Blog

One of the easiest ways to prevent injury caused be repetitive motions (known as RSIs or Repetitive Stress Injuries), is to simply alter your routine!

Stagger tasks throughout the day. Varying your routine by changing tasks, doing each in shorter intervals, allows you to use your body in different ways. This allows your muscles to have some "recovery time."

Even in jobs which tie you to your desk, you can change your sequence of duties to accomplish the same amount in day, just in a different order. For example:

Rather than keyboarding for 4 hours straight, take a break to:
* Make some calls
* Do some filing
* Make copies
* Proof something you've entered (off line - from hard copy)

Even just getting up to get a drink of water and walking the long way back to your office can give your body a much-needed break.

Remember that Repetitive Stress Injuries (such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) build up over years. Don't fall for the myth that, "I feel O.K., so I must not be susceptible to this type of injury." Most people aren't aware they are becoming injured until they experience pain. That's actually the THIRD step of injury. (See "Stages of an Injury" in this Blog.)

Take an ounce of prevention!